The Test
by Kasey22
Summary: What happens when Juliet passes a test that she's not sure she wants to pass. Prologue to Homecoming, but also works as a stand-alone.


**A/N:** This is a prologue to Homecoming, which is rated M (as is another of my fics) so you might not have found it easily.

**Title: **The Test

Juliet stared down at the little white stick and thought, "How could this have happened?" And then she gave herself a little shake and told herself, "No. I'm not some high school kid who's surprised that sex can sometimes lead to babies...I just...didn't expect this."

She tossed the Dharma pregnancy test deep in the trash of the motor pool bathroom garbage and tried to get back to work, but all kinds of worries plagued her. She had to tell him and soon. But what if it were a false positive? Miles and Jin were coming over for dinner tonight. She'd track one of them down and cancel. False positive. The words rang like a bell in her ears.

It was almost lunchtime. She'd go and see the doc and let him check her out. Maybe it was nothing.

Except that you're late, whispered a little voice inside. And you're never late.

Her hand slipped on a wrench and the bolt she was tightening skittered loose across the floor.

This could not be happening! What would James say? She closed her eyes and the logical part of her mind took over. What had you been expecting? You've been using condoms for over a year and everybody knows that condoms are only about 80% effective. People were always finding things wrong with condoms, even in 2004. They get old, they rip, they come off, shit happens. What did you expect?

Juliet hung her head feeling defeated by the bolt, condoms and life in general.

At lunchtime she went to see the island doc who confirmed that she was about 7 weeks along. "Congratulations!" he beamed at her. She smiled wanly back at him and tried to think back seven weeks, tried to remember, but it was all a blank. Even after more than a year, she and James could barely keep their hands off each other. One night seven weeks ago was not particularly memorable, much as she wished it were.

Seven weeks ago. Her mind spooled backwards. If it was late July now, it would have late May...wait. Memorial Day. How had she forgotten? It was a three-day weekend, even on the island and there was a massive barbecue on Sunday night and she and James had both had WAY too much to drink. They were both so tipsy and uninhibited when they'd gotten home that they had done some pretty crazy things. Things she'd never even tried with her husband. "You are insatiable, woman," he'd said to her that night."

She had laughed and taken his earlobe between her teeth and suckled until he'd flipped her over and trapped her wrists under his one big hand, forcing her to admit defeat. "You know you love it, Jamie."

"That I do," he'd said, working one hand into a very delicate place. Juliet had gazed up at him and smiled, her eyes at half-mast. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me," she'd said.

His hand had stilled. "Ditto," he'd grinned, and she'd laughed again, drunk on the wine and him and his very clever fingers. She had never in her life been with someone who made her so happy.

And now, now she remembered waking up the next morning completely hungover and cotton-mouthed and _sticky_.

Sticky. If you used a condom there was no reason in the world to wake up sticky. And yet, she had. She only remembered it now because under the hangover it had barely registered. After the hangover she had almost convinced herself that it hadn't actually happened and, well, she'd forgotten. She'd forgotten because she hoped that it hadn't actually happened. She'd showered and taken two aspirin and gotten through the day.

James must have woken up sticky too but for some reason he either hadn't noticed or had said anything.

James. How on _earth _was she going to tell him? This was probably the last thing he wanted. Stranded on an island 30 years in the past with no way of getting _home _home. This was not the ideal place to raise a child. Plus...they had barely talked about marriage let alone babies. It was too much, too fast.

"Hey, Al!" she called back at the motor pool. Her supervisor, Al, turned around.

"What's up."

"Not feeling so good. Do you mind if I take the afternoon?"

Al looked around at the work left for the day and slowly shook his head. "Nah, that's fine. Feel better."

It wasn't exactly a lie. She hadn't been feeling quite herself for...duh. For the last couple of weeks or so. What an idiot. All those mornings waking up and feeling a little sick. It hadn't been food or liquor or anything except a tiny little parasite living off her body and sapping her energy. Except that wasn't right either. It wasn't a parasite, it was going to be her baby.

Christ, her _baby_! The whole idea was crazy! And yet there it was. Juliet was an educated, modern, liberal woman who would take the streets if necessary to protect choice for women, but she knew deep down in her heart that she would absolutely have this baby no matter what. Aside from anything else, it was part James and she loved him more than she could express and could never willingly destroy something that was part his - even if it turned out that he didn't want it.

Which could still happen. Juliet walked home and went right to bed. She got sleepy so easily anymore - another symptom she'd ignored or missed. Unfortunately she had not seen Jin or Miles on her way home so she couldn't cancel dinner. She lay on the bed thinking of what to do.

There was a lasagna in the fridge that she'd made the day before. Maybe she could have it ready right when they arrived and they could eat quick and then leave early. Which was a stupid plan because when did Miles do anything quick or early?

Frustrated she rolled over and tried to think. Unfortunately, this quick movement made her feel sick and she rushed to the bathroom and watched as her lunch made it's way from her stomach to the toilet. Ugh. She felt exhausted and helpless and she crawled back to bed and fell asleep thinking that a nap would hopefully help her think up a solution to the problem.

Several hours later she woke up when James sat down on the bed and said, "Hey there, sleepyhead, what's going on?" He kissed her.

"James?" she blinked. "What time is it?"

"Five-thirty. Jin and Miles are here. You not feelin' good?" He put a hand to her forehead and his cheek to her cheek, feeling, touching and making sure.

"No," she said, sitting up blearily. "I'm fine. I just need half an hour to heat up the lasagna and we're good."

"Cool." He smiled at her, glad she was okay.

And, poof! There was her opportunity and poof! It was gone. James was up and in the bathroom already. She could hear the shower going and she stood up and headed for the kitchen, kicking herself all the way. If only she hadn't fallen asleep. If only she'd been awake and sharp enough to have a conversation when he'd asked how she was feeling.

If only there were a way of telling him without telling him. She chewed her lower lip while she turned the oven on and said hello to Jin & Miles.

And then the little voice inside her said, "Just let it go. The right time will present itself tonight and you'll be fine. What's meant to be will be. Whatever happened happened."

Okay, she replied to the little voice. Okay. Tonight. After Miles and Jin leave. She would find the right time. Okay.


End file.
